Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint-Denis and Istanbul

For one person, living is cheaper in Istanbul: $1,526 a month against $1,800 in Saint-Denis, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Saint-Denis
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Saint-Denis Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Istanbul
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Istanbul Living Index

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Saint-Denis

🇷🇪 Reunion

$1,800

/mo nomad

Istanbul

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Saint-Denis and in Istanbul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Saint-Denis and in Istanbul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,800 per month in Saint-Denis vs $1,526 in Istanbul, rent included.

Saint-Denis $1,800
Istanbul $1,526

A couple spends around $3,171 per month in Saint-Denis vs $2,399 in Istanbul, rent included.

Saint-Denis $3,171
Istanbul $2,399

A family of three spends $4,543 per month in Saint-Denis vs $3,272 in Istanbul, rent included.

Saint-Denis $4,543
Istanbul $3,272

Saint-Denis costs about 18% more than Istanbul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Saint-Denis and Istanbul sit above the global median – Saint-Denis by 34%, Istanbul by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.56 €12.10

$11.88 ₺585

14.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 €70.5

$55.1 ₺2,714

43.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.63 €13.95

$9.14 ₺450

71.01%

Cappuccino

$3.54 €3.16

$4.24 ₺209

-16.51%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.31

$1.75 ₺86.0

47.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 €2.23

$0.54 ₺26.83

362.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.07

$4.69 ₺231

-26.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 €4.15

$5.97 ₺294

-22.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.52

$1.26 ₺62.1

34.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 ₺46.81

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 €2.64

$2.31 ₺114

28.14%

Eggs

$4.51 €4.03

$2.47 ₺122

82.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.10 €17.94

$10.55 ₺520

90.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.24 €11.81

$5.60 ₺276

136.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.24 €29.66

$21.21 ₺1,045

56.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ₺95.1

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 ₺113

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₺63.1

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 €4.87

$1.84 ₺90.8

196.20%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ₺32.86

Onion (1kg)

$4.51 €4.02

$0.59 ₺29.31

664.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 €2.05

$1.33 ₺65.4

72.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.70

$0.59 ₺29.10

222.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.39 €10.17

$2.36 ₺116

382.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.55 €11.20

$13.47 ₺664

-6.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 €2.94

$2.42 ₺119

36.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €3.04

$3.54 ₺174

-3.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 €2.26

$0.83 ₺40.64

206.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.40 €38.73

$66.5 ₺3,273

-34.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₺66.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ₺42.05

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 ₺535

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.67

$1.47 ₺72.3

27.21%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$51.6K ₺2.5M

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$44.4K ₺2.2M

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$146 €130

$89.2 ₺4,395

63.56%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.61 €15.72

$11.60 ₺572

51.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.07 €38.44

$16.10 ₺793

167.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.35 €32.44

$77.3 ₺3,805

-52.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.43 €11.98

$22.66 ₺1,116

-40.73%

Cinema Ticket

$11.11 €9.91

$8.34 ₺411

33.21%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$974 ₺48.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.8K ₺1.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$148 €132

$52.7 ₺2,597

180.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.16 ₺1,929

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 €112

$103 ₺5,083

21.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €102

$96.6 ₺4,759

17.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$918 €820

$994 ₺49.0K

-7.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$657 €586

$629 ₺31.0K

4.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,369

$2,024 ₺99.7K

-24.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,951 €1,741

$1,155 ₺56.9K

68.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,160 ₺155.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,838 ₺90.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,054 €1,833

$1,203 ₺59.3K

70.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.09

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Saint-Denis: October 5, 2026

Last update for Istanbul: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Saint-Denis

$657 36.8%

Istanbul

$629 41.2% 4.2% $28

Groceries & Markets

Saint-Denis

$390 * 21.9%

Istanbul

$264 17.3% 32.3% $126

Eating Out

Saint-Denis

$245 13.7%

Istanbul

$218 14.3% 10.9% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint-Denis

$207 11.6%

Istanbul

$117 7.7% 43.4% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Saint-Denis

$174 * 9.8%

Istanbul

$131 8.6% 24.5% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Saint-Denis

$59 3.3%

Istanbul

$94 6.1% 60.4% $35

Getting Around

Saint-Denis

$54 * 3%

Istanbul

$75 4.9% 40.7% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $918 in Saint-Denis versus $994 in Istanbul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 71% higher in Saint-Denis, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Saint-Denis versus $55.0 in Istanbul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $390 vs $264 – making Istanbul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇷🇪 Saint-Denis

🇹🇷 Istanbul

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

15:23 3:23 PM

1 h behind Saint-Denis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

154,765 Capital

15,701,602

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 TRY = 2.03 USD

100 TRY = 1.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Saint-Denis Istanbul 7,400 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint-Denis
Istanbul

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Saint-Denis vs Istanbul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint-Denis is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,699 per month in Saint-Denis and $2,289 in Istanbul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Istanbul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Istanbul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 48% more in Saint-Denis, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Istanbul, where all-in costs run around $1,526, than in Saint-Denis at $1,800. In Istanbul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint-Denis it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Istanbul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Istanbul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saint-Denis makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.